வேல் வகுப்பு — Benefits & How to Chant
வேல் வகுப்பு
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting வேல் வகுப்பு
A powerful hymn devoted entirely to the Vel, Lord Murugan's divine lance
the very emblem of his protecting power
Recited (especially as 'Vel Maaral') as a protective garland for courage, victory and the warding off of evil
Its imagery of the Vel splitting the Krauncha mountain and freeing the gods makes it a prayer for breaking obstacles
Cherished for its Tamil poetic mastery in the special 'vaguppu' cadence of Arunagirinathar
Believed to grant the Vel's protection from fear, enemies, illness and the unseen
Recited on Tuesdays, Krittika nakshatra days, during Skanda Shashthi and at Murugan temples
How to Chant வேல் வகுப்பு
Instructions
Bathe and sit facing east before an image of Lord Murugan and his Vel. Recite the verses with devotion, keeping the mind fixed on the radiant Vel as the Lord's protecting power. Many devotees recite the rearranged 'Vel Maaral' as a parayanam (continuous recitation) for protection, ending with salutations to the Vel — 'Vetri Vel! Veera Vel!'
Spiritual Significance
Devotees hold the Vel Maaral / Vel Vaguppu to be a 'mani-mantra-aushadha' — at once gem, mantra and medicine — and believe that one who recites it with faith is shielded by the very Vel of Murugan, before which fear, disease, enemies and evil flee as the demons once fled and the Krauncha mountain itself was riven.
Origin & History
Source: Tamil devotional literature — Thiruvaguppu (Murugan / Kaumara tradition)
Author: Arunagirinathar
The Vel Vaguppu is part of the Thiruvaguppu of Arunagirinathar, the great Tamil saint-poet and devotee of Lord Murugan. Composed in a distinctive measured 'vaguppu' cadence, it is wholly devoted to the Vel — the divine lance that Parvati gave to Murugan and with which he slew Surapadma, Taraka and Krauncha and freed the captive gods. Each verse 'arranges' (vaguppu) fresh praises of the Vel, comparing it to the eyes of Valli and hailing it as the boon that broke the bonds of the devas and clove the mountains. Its verses, rearranged by Vallimalai Sri Sachchidananda Swamigal as the 'Vel Maaral', are recited as a famous protective garland to this day.